What Do Michelle Obama, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Tila Tequila Have in Common?

On twitter, my new favorite hangout, Fridays are called "follow Friday" where users give suggestions of friends to follow. This past Friday I am thrilled to say people were following their hearts! In my heart today is Tila Tequilla (follow her at @officialTila) - who has contributed greatly to what was already a monumental week for animals and the people who fight the good fight for them. Our blogger, Tila Tequilla, trumped all of our other celebrity bloggers by handing in the most viewed and commented blog in the history of Global Grind on the subject of animal abuse

Overnight, more and more people were introduced to the horrors of the fur trade, all because she had the heart to speak up. Then, this morning I was just speaking to my friend Dan Mathews, VP of PETA, who told me that America's first lady, Michelle Obama and France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have declared themselves FUR FREE!!! Last week marks a shift in human consciousness. We are finally, after years of going head to head with the fur industry, changing the way the world views fur. It is no longer being viewed as a way to floss and show off your status or bank account - it is now a billboard of cruelty on people's back. So, I celebrate these victories with all my friends in the animal rights movement and now I will do what I always do, put my head down and get back to work.

We have very very far to go until all animals are liberated from pain and suffering..but dare I say, we are on our way.

Follow Russell Simmons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unclerush

Comments

[keckie38]

I think I love you Russell Simmons, you rock!

[marthainmaine]

I appreciate Russell Simmons so much. Seems like it would be harder to be a Vegan and practice yoga if you were very wealthy. More distractions. He has my respect.

The Obamas took an untrainable dog . To me that is going even beyond a shelter. I have respect for them too. Not his economic team .

[Merengoso]

I love Mrs. Obama and Mme. Zarkozy and admire their no-fur stance, but who the hell is Tila la Tequila???

[Kenny2k]

The fur trade is nothing compared to the food trade. It's pretty obvious to me that humans love to kill. It's in our nature. We wear and eat animals as a normal condition. I don't think we should be worrying about the few animals we kill for their fur as long as we eat them and wear them. I hope Russell doesn't eat or wear them.

[cgracec]

He doesn't. He has been a vegetarian (actually, maybe vegan) for a very long time.

[cucumber]

40 million animals used for fur is a very small number compared to the number eaten and vivisected, but their lives still count.

[Holypat777]

Great Article!

I am against fur (I think it looks cheap, actually!) But in regards to the consumption of meat I must say that if humans hadn't eaten meat our evolution would not have occured. It was due to our ancestors eating meat that our brains evolved.

I am against the mass production of meat for fast food and other wasteful practices. The reason humans eat meat is to benefit from a more progressive protein strain, or as I call it,active protein , which, obviously come from an animal who more active life (running, etc.) Plants with protein (spinach, legumes etc.) would consist of a passive protein strain.

Humans must be responsible in their meat consumption and always accompany meat with a wide variety of fruit and/or vegetables. And green tea!!! The miracle drink, folks!

Green tea reduces the strain on our digestive system, helping us process the meat.

Anywho, I can on for years. This is the longest post I ever put up. :)

PETA should fight for at least ending the mass production of meat that is adulterated with hormones. That is something we could stop and that everyone could agree on.



I fear that if a complete reversion to vegetarianism could actually be catastrophic since most of the we eat animals are vegetarians.

[NURREDIN]

I'm more concerned about making HUMANITY pain free.If Tila Tequila wants to really make the world pain free she should stop singing.

[flifishun]

I love my leather boots.
This weekend we'll be grilling up some steaks for Fathers Day, YUMMMMMMMMMM!

[Sharai Erima]

are you also against leather, russell?

[AmandaSabater]

I've never been a Tila Tequila fan, but now I can say that we actually have something in common too, our love for animals.

"We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature."

[digitalmuaddib]

While I am glad that Ms Tequila has come out against fur, one must wonder where that love of animals was when she had contestants on her show eating pig vaginas. I

[NilesCrane]

My grandmother (being a society hostess of the 50s) had many fur coats...I used to go into her "fur room" which was a huge cedar closet with tons of fur and crocodile bags in it. And I used to take them all down and lay in the softness of the fur.......

when I look back it was soooo wrong. But people back then had no idea what was going on, we dont have the media that we have now. I still have many of those coats and stoles in a giant trunk in my garage. I dont see a point in throwing them away, because most of them are from big designers like christian dior, I know they are valuable because they are in fabulous shape, but I dont know what to do with them.
If I sold them I would only be adding to the problem. I dont think I could cut them up and repurpose them as blankets (even though they would be warm). I suppose its a "green" item because its over 50 years old and still useful and not in a landfill...its still a dead animal..

[digitalmuaddib]

Suggestion: sell them and donate the money to a charity that helps animals.

[cucumber]

you can give them to a wildlife center or HSUS which uses them to help out orphaned baby animals. Ironically, some of whose mothers were trapped for the fur industry.

Resale fur actually doesn't have that much monetary value.

[TanzaniteDiamonds]

Cucumber is right. They can be donated, to help keep orphaned animals "warm". At least the donated furs, go back, to the "animals" for warmth and comfort --- instead of vanity. (See my other post about this on page 2).

[Garybot]

Do any of you guys ever watch old "I Love Lucy" reruns? Back in the 50's the big thing was a fox stole the women wore - Lucy actually wore one on the show. Of course, it was only the height of fashion if the head and legs were still attached. Hard to believe, huh?

[RJII]

I was never cruel to animals, but since I got my two papillons (my babies) I've become a big softy who about the welfare of animals. My hat's off to those on the front line, including PETA. Great post Simmons.

[looking4thelight]

No torture anywhere. Not of people or of animals.

[Balzac]

"We have very very far to go until all animals are liberated from pain and suffering..but dare I say, we are on our way."

No, we are not on our way. Neither animals nor people are ultimately going to be "liberated from pain and suffering". PETA should take a similar approach to fur as activists take to "blood diamonds".

No need to condemn all diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are ok, as are those which are mined in humane worker conditions.

Likewise, there is no need to condemn all fur, only that which is produced by cruelty.

What is PETA going to say to Inuit tribes who wear fur to survive in the Arctic? How about some designer who uses road-kill fur?

But I agree Tila Tequila is hot. I suppose I would pretend to be a fan of PETA too for her.

You're the man, Russ! YTMND

[cucumber]

Do you know how fur is made? Whether farmed or trapped, ALL fur is produced by cruelty. See http://www.furisdead.com

You know an animal had to be liberated from her skin for fur to be made, right? How would you like your skin to be made into a garment?

[Balzac]

I'm already wearing vegan shoes and a vegan belt. I don't eat mammals.

I'm definitely not in favor of farming foxes, weasels, and such.

But guess what? I care more about apes, whales, elephants, lions, tigers, etc.

Also, I would not tell Inuit tribes they need to not wear fur to appease my angstivism.